Track-cleaner.



J. A. HODGSON.

TRACK CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. 1910.

1,124,226., Patented Ja11.5, 1915.

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J, A. HODGSON.

TRACK CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3, 1910. 1,1Q4,226. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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J. A. HODGSON. TRACK CLEANER.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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JOHN ABCHIBALD HODGSON, F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

TRACK-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

Application filed October 3, 1910. Serial No. 585,201.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. HODGSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track cleaners and is especially adapted to clean street railway tracks.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatically operated track cleaning device.

Another obect is to provide a track cleaning device which may be attached directly to a street car and which will constantly clean a rail directly ahead of the car wheels, thus eliminating the manual labor ordinarily required to do this work.

With the above and other obects in view, I have constructed the track cleaner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a track cleaning device shown attached to the under portion of a car platform, Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, enlarged, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line B-B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the frame member, taken on line A-A of Fig. 2 and looking down, Fig. 4 is a perspective of a plow member, Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation, partly in section of the frame member on line BB of Fig. 2, showing the plow member attached thereto; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line B-B of Fig. 2, Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the brush to be described, Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a track cleaner to be described, and Fig. 9 is a fragmental sectional View of a securing part for the brush and track cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a street car, 2 the front platform thereof, and 3 a rail.

The track cleaning device consists of a frame 4, which is secured to the car by means of a bracket 5. The frame consists of integral side plates 6 and 6, and an upper plate 7 in which is an opening 8,

through which one end of a rod 9 passes.

To the upper end of this rod is secured one end 10 of a compression spring 11. The other end of this spring is secured at 12 to a bolt 13 which is held by a strap secured to the plate 7. The rod 9 extends down to within a short distance of the rail 3 and is centrally supported by a cross plate 14.

The lower part 16 of the rod is square in cross section and about centrally located in the rod is a slot through which passes a bar 21, which is rigidly secured at 22 and 23 to the plates 6 and 6. A socket 17 is provided in the free end of the rod, which is adapted to receive a reduced portion 18 of a pin 19 having a flange 20 thereon, which abuts the end of the rod. A bolt 24 passes through the end of the rod and the upper portion of the pin, passing through an opening 21 in the pin, and holds the pin in place. A collar 25 is rigidly secured to the rod 9 and is adapted to hold said rod in a normal position. This collar seats-on the plate 14 through which said rod 9 passes.

To the lower part of the frame is secured a pair of bars 26 and 27, which are connected near the center by a pair of cross bars 28 and 29, which are notched at 30 and 31 to receive two opposing corners of the angular portion 16 of the rod 9. These cross bars are provided with integral pins 32 and 33, to which are secured by means of the pins 34 and 35 compression springs 36 and 37, the opposite ends of which pass through openings 38 and 39 in the plates 6 and 6, and are held by the bolts 40 and 41. These bolts are rigidly held by cars 42, 43, 44 and 45, which are integral with the side plates 6 and 6.

The lower part 46 of the rod 9 is enlarged in order to form a seat 47 for a plate 48 on which rests a pair of parallel plates 49 and 50, which are notched at 51 and 52, to

permit the square part 16 of the bar 9 to pass therebetween. These plates are held together by bolts 58 and 54 which clamp them rigidly to the bar 16. The ends of these plates are reduced and screwthreaded to secure the bolts 55 and 56, 57 and 58 as at 49 and 50' (shown only at one side of Fig. 2 The plate 14 is provided in the center thereof with a slot 59 in which the rod 9 has free lateral movement.

To one end of the plates 49 and 50 is secured a right angular member 60 of a brush back. To the part 61 of this brush back is secured the wire brush 62 having the central portion 63 of the wires or bristles depending below the body of the brush in order to fit down into the groove of a track 3. On the other end of the plates 49 and 50 is secured a member 64 to which is secured a plow 65, having a rounded heel 66 and a centrally disposed web 67. The web 67 terminates in reduced end forming a screwthreaded shank 68 which passes through an opening 76 in member 64. The side blocks 65 are formed with suitable recesses 77 fitting the contiguous sides of the heel 66. The plate 4-9 has inclined ends 70 and 71, while the ends 7 O and 71 of plates 50 continue the bevel ends of plate 4-9 so that the plow 65 and the brush 61 are held in an angular position, but in a parallel plane. The object is to throw dirt from the groove in the track away therefrom. The plates 49 and 50 bear at opposite ends upon brackets 78, and when the blocks 60 and 6-52 of the brush and plow are placed in contact therewith wedges 72 and 73 will be placed against the members 60, and 61 in order to give the nuts cooperating therewith a proper seat; the nuts 55, 56 and 57 and 58 respectively will then be screwed home upon bolts 5, 4:9, 50, rerespectively, thereby firmly securing the brush and plow to said plate.

It will be seen that the construction above described is such that the rod 9, which supports the plow and sweeper, has free vertical and lateral movement, hence the track scraper, plow and brush will readily pass over or around any obstruction. The springs 11, 36 and 37 however, hold the device in a normally rigid position.

I claim 1. The described device consisting of a frame, a pair of horizontal plates, a plow fixed forwardly of said plates, an angularly disposed brush fixed. rearwardly of said plates, a track scraper projecting between said plates, said scraper being spring pressed and vertically adjustable, springs adapted to hold said scraper normally in the center of said frame but adapted to permit move ment transverse thereof, and means to prevent forward or rearward movement of said scraper, said means consisting of a horizontal bar, said scraper having a slot therethrough through which said bar projects.

2. The described device consisting of a frame, a pair of horizontal plates, a plow fixed forwardly of said plates, an angularly disposed brush fixed rearwardly of said plates, a track scraper projecting between said plates, said scraper being spring pressed and vertically adjustable, springs adapted to hold said scraper normally in the center of said frame but adapted to permit movement transverse thereof, means to prevent forward or rearward movement of said scraper, said means consisting of a horizontal bar, said scraper having a slot therethrough through which said bar projects, and a removable point on said scraper.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN AROHIBALD noncson.

Witnesses:

THOMAS HENRY BIGKNELL, LORENZO D. BABINGTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. G. 

